OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Health is looking into the possibility of two measles cases in our state after an outbreak in Texas and New Mexico.

We had a false alarm in Bartlesville last week.

OSDH says these cases are being reported to the CDC as probable cases based on exposure with the outbreak in nearby states and symptoms consistent with measles.

State health leaders are required to release the information to the public if there are any probable or confirmed cases.

They say the people stayed away from the public after experiencing symptoms throughout their contagious period.

“These cases highlight the importance of being aware of measles activity as people travel or host visitors,” said Kendra Dougherty, Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Response at OSDH.

Experts say measles can be prevented with an MMR vaccine that is recommended for children at 12 to 15 months of age and again at four to six years of age.

Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles and one dose is about 93% effective.